Crutch.



P. R. WILDE.

GBUTGH.

. v APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1909. 989,463. 1 Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

BERCY ROBERTS WILDE, OF BATH, ENGLAND.

CRUTCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERCY ROBERTS VILDE, of 23 The Circus, Bath, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Crutches, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

My invention relates to improvements in crutches of the type consisting of two telescoping sections and a yielding arm rest. Its object is to construct such a crutch capable of being used in conjunction with a walking stick, umbrella, or the like, and to this end the invention consists in providing means for enabling the lower part of the crutch to be detachably connected to the walking stick or the like which latter has its handle constructed suitably for the carrying out of this invention.

The invention further consists in the construction of the yielding arm rest of the crutch whereby any possibility of jar being felt by the user is completely eliminated, while a strap or the like is provided in combination therewith which is passed over the shoulder to prevent the shoulderpiece slipping about and as a means of suspending the crutch so that when the crutch is removed from the walking stick it may hang pendant from the shoulder and not be in the way; all as hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved crutch, Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a modification of my invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A1 is the shoulder strap, A2 are the springs of the shoulder-piece A, to which the strap A1 and the pad A1 for the arm-pit are attached the said pad being riveted, screwed, bound or otherwise secured to the springs; A3 is the forked spring crown of the section A. A5 is the fixed attachment of the shoulderstrap A1 to the springs A2. A6 is the buckle of the strap A1, whereby it may be fastened or released. A1 is the interior space in the shoulder-piece A int-o which the lower section B may be telescoped when not required. A8 is a slot or recess cut vertically in the shoulder-piece A, and terminated at the top end in a lateral recess A9, and at the bottom in another lateral recess A1o to receive a projection or stud B1 on the section B.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led February 27, 1909.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Serial No. 480,327.

At the lower end of section B there is a band of suitable metal B2 carrying a projection, pin or the like B3. This pin B3 fits into a recess, hole or slot C1 in the top of a walking stick or umbrella, a walking stick C being shown in the drawing, and the arrangement is such that the lower extremity of the section B cannot pinch the hand of the user between it and the handle C2 of the stick C. To this end the handle at the point of junction with the said section B is formed with a swelled or Aenlarged portion so that the hand naturally rests on the smaller laterally projecting part of the handle. The pin B3 may be round, oval, square, or of any other suitable form and is held in the recess of the walking stick or umbrella by friction or by any other suitable means. The slot or recess A8 inside of A allows of the travel of the stud or projection B1 of the section B when closing or extending the crutch. The projection or stud B1 rests in the recess A9 when the crutch is not in use, and in the recess A10 at the lower end of the slot AS when the crutch is in use. A11 1s a snap or catch for locking the two portions A and B in their respective relative positions.

In Fig. 3 A1 is the space inside section A into which section B fits telescopically when not being used as a crutch. A11 is a cylindrical portion of the internal space A1 for the reception of the pin B1. B1 indicates a few threads formed on the bottom end of the section B and adapted to engage with corresponding threads B5 formed inside the shoulder-piece A. The head B6 of section B ts into the space A1 at A10. The remainder of the section B is so shaped as to t in the spac-e A1 in A when the crutch is not in use.

Now, the manner in which this crutch is assembled and used is as follows :--Befer ring to the construction shownin Fig. l, suppose it is required to use the crutch, the strap A1 is fastened over the shoulder after the pad A1 has been placed under the armpit of the user, the strap A1 is then fastened by its buckle at A6 the snap or catch A11 is operated to release the section B then section B is given a slight turn which disengages the projection or stud B1 from the recess A0, whereupon B is withdrawn from A, when B will come out no farther it is again turned so as to bring the projection or stud B1 into the recess A10 wherein it is held by the snap or catch A11, thus locking the two sections A and B in a fixed relative position to each other; the pin, stud or projection B3 is now inserted into the hole, slot or recess C1 in the head of the stick or umbrella, and the crutch is ready for use. To disassemble the parts the stud or pin B3 is withdrawn from the head of the stick C. B is then turned around, after the catch L 11 has been pressed in to release it, and pushed up into the recess AT, when it will go in no farther it is again turned so as to bring the stud or projection Bl into the recess A.

Referring to the construction shown in Fig. 3; suppose it is required to use the crutch, the part B is simply withdrawn from the part A by giving it the required turn which disengages th-e threads B* on the bottom of the part B from the corresponding threads B5 inside the part A; the part B is then reversed end-for-end and fitted into A so that the head B(s lits into the part of A at- Aw. The pin or projection Bii is then titted into the recess, or hole. in the stick C, and the strap A1 is fastened over the shoulder as described in regard to Fig. l, the whole then being ready for use as a crutch. To disassemble the parts, the stick C, is removed from the lower end of B, B is then withdrawn from A, turned end-forend and inserted into A'till it will go no farther; B is then turned so as to engage the two or three threads B'i and B5 together, the user is then free to remove the shoulder strap Al or not, to sit down or assume any other position without being in any way incommoded by the crutch, and it may be invisible, hanging as it may, inside the coat or other garment.

I claim l. A crutch having a head, consisting of forked springs, and a pad or arm rest suspended from and between said springs with a strap and buckle secured each to one of the springs as and for the purpose described.

2. A crutch, comprising two members, on-e of the members being tubular and adapted to receive the other member when the crutch is not in use, one of the said members being provided at one end with means for engaging the handle of a walking stick or umbrella, toisecure the same thereto.

3. A crutch, comprising two members, the upper member being tubular and adapted to receive the lower member when the crutch is not in use, the lower member being provided at one end with means for engaging the handle of a walking stick or umbrella to secure the same thereto, and means for locking the lower member in the upper member.

4f. A crutch, comprising an upper and lower member, the upper member being tubular and the lower member held within the upper member when the crutch is not in use, the lower member being provided at one end with a pin adapted to enter a recess in the handle of a walking stick or umbrella.

, 5. In a crutch comprising two telescoping sections and a yielding arm rest, a single tube upper section having internal screw threads in its upper part, in combination with a single tube lower section formed with its upper end to lit frietionally in the lower end of the upper section and with its lower end with corresponding external screw threads to engage those in the upper section when turned endforend and slid telescopically within the said upper section, the said lower section being provided with a pin or piece projecting therefrom to lit frictionally in a recess in the handle of a walking stick, umbrella or the like, substantially as described.

6. In a. crutch, a single tube upper section carrying a forked spring shoulder support and a strap and buckle secured thereto, a single tube lower section capable of sliding telescopically within the tubular upper section, means for holding the two sections temporarily in position relatively to each other, and a pin projecting from the bottom of the lower section, adapted to enter a recess in the handle of a walking stick or umbrella, as and for the purpose described.

BERCY ROBERTS VILDE.

Vitnesses ALBERT EDWARD ELLES, B. RUETTNAR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

